The Palestinian Human Rights Organizations Council, a collection of human rights groups, issued a statement calling on Israel to respect the "right to life" and ensure that the use of force does not endanger civilians.

"As the Occupying Power, Israel is obligated to carry out its search for the missing settlers in line with its obligations under international humanitarian law and international human rights law," PHROC said.

The methods being used to locate the youths are "indiscriminate in their nature" and "undermine the fundamental rights" of those affected, the groups said.

"Furthermore, these restrictive measures are being carried out based on mere speculation regarding both the identity of those responsible for the disappearances and their location."

"These measures indicate Israel's intention to impose punitive measures against large portions of the Palestinian population in violation of Article 33 of the Fourth Geneva Convention prohibiting reprisals against protected persons and their property, as well as collective punishment," the statement added.

Since three Israeli youths disappeared from an area near the settlement of Gush Etzion late Thursday, Israeli forces have arrested approximately 200 Palestinians, including eight members of the Palestinian Legislative Council.

Early Monday, Israeli soldiers raided al-Jalazun refugee camp near Ramallah to make arrests. When Palestinians threw stones at the soldiers, they responded by opening fire and fatally wounding 20-year-old Ahmad Sabarin.

The day before, three people including a young child were injured when Israeli forces bombed open a door in Hebron.

PHROC condemned "Israel's disregard for its obligations under international law and its use of reprisals against the Palestinian population in carrying out its investigations into the disappeared youths."

1 ) Colin Wright / USA

17/06/2014 20:06

Israel always employs collective punishment -- and at a level that serves to infuriate without sufficing to terrify. Then she wonders why she faces continued resistance. Morality aside, it's not very rational behavior.

2 ) Paul / Kenya

17/06/2014 20:32

Just like BDS, collective punishment on innocent Israelis.
So stop moaning.

3 ) JoeFattal / USA

17/06/2014 21:23

With Israel stupidity the teenageers if they were kidnap Israel can pray to have them release, not to inflict so much damages among the Palestinians to gain their release. Ity looks to me as an excuse for Israel to react violently to the unity which they work so hard for the last decades or so to divide both factions and their unity become their nightmare. It doesn't take an outsider to figure that Israel is behind it or their extremists. The world opinion agree with me. Read about it.

4 ) Colin Wright / USA

17/06/2014 22:55

Whenever a Palestinian kid is killed in a demonstration, we get a nauseating display of pretended outrage from Zionists -- directed at the 'irresponsible parents.' So where is that outrage now? What kind of MONSTERS drag their children into settlements where they will be exposed to such dangers? What is wrong with Jewish parents? Don't they love their children? Etc.

5 ) JoeFattal / USA

17/06/2014 23:41

It seems that Israel was waiting or even hoping for something to happen. Either some factions have something to do with their kidnapping or Israel has something to do with it. The latter make more sense.

6 ) V / X

18/06/2014 00:16

Israel wishes to thank Hamas for giving them an excuse to make Palestinian's lives more unbearable and hopeless. All your children will suffer and you will have gained nothing. The only weapon that Palestinians have to fight against a much stronger military is world opinion, and hamas has BLOWN IT with its BIG MOUTH.

7 ) some one / some where

18/06/2014 00:48

PHROC what do you want they do put yourself in place of their mother and father then open your big mouth it is better to shut up and tell those terrorist
by kidnapping they get no where

8 ) Mel / USA

18/06/2014 01:34

Of course,another option for ? the perpetrators taking the young men,are fellow Jewish settlers from the more extremist colonies like Yitzhar(Od Yosef Chai)who don't like Hasidic Jews(from the yeshiva on Gush Etzion)?Of course if the Israeli police hadn't been asleep,by NOT tracking the 911 phone-call made by one of the boys,it migh t not have happened?.Bibi wants someone to blame(not Hamas)? Blame the Israeli police?Even ex-Mossad officers don't believe it was Hamas!

9 ) JoeFattal / USA

18/06/2014 08:23

Israel is using the disappearance of the teenagers if their were kidnap and that still remain to be proven as a convenience to their own political agenda as to their religion is used for the convenience to justify their occupation. Judaism is a religion of convenience, it is used by Jews if someone see such benefit out of it politicaly or otherwise.

10 ) Brian Cohen / Israel

18/06/2014 11:03

PHROC is a joke. It's not a human rights org but simply a pro-Pal anti-Israel lobbying group. PHROC talks about rights, but ignores the fact that Fatah and Hamas are the biggest abusers of Pal human rights.

11 ) Colin Wright / USA

18/06/2014 21:51

to V/X #6: 'Israel wishes to thank Hamas for giving them an excuse to make Palestinian's lives more unbearable and hopeless...' The difficulty is that Israel has only acquired such an excuse in her own eyes. As she goes ahead and acts on this perception, she will be unwittingly destroying herself. Those whom the gods would destroy, they first make mad. So go for it. You'll only be proving your critics right.

12 ) Global Citizen / the world

19/06/2014 10:29

Israel's approach of resorting to indiscriminate arrests, destruction of private properties, invasion of privacy, missile attacks etc seems to be wrong, too heavy handed and disproportionate! It would only endear palestinian youths more to Hamas. I was petrified that the speaker of the Palestinian parliament was arrested, in this day and age??, i dont know of any country that would like this absurdity. There should be better ways of doing this instead of these flagrant abuse of basic rights!

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